Back in the early 90s, there were a lot of great bands that channeled punky anglopop into something more. Treepeople come to mind, as do Archers of Loaf. Lauds hail from a point further down I-40 from the Archers (at the eastern terminus, actually), which happens to also be home of a truly underappreciated pop band from the same era, Stephan Bayley's Hungry Mind Review.

Lauds Imitation Life (Fort Lowell Records)

Lauds mix the minimalism of early Cure with modest surf beats and some really lovely guitar lines. Many of the tracks here are instrumentals, and the guitar more than suffices. When the vocals are around, they're understated in the modern shoegaze style. Largely just lead vocals with very little harmonizin'.

Indeed, the gorgeous melodies that spring forth from these songs seem to come as an eternal surprise. Each arrives with the glory of an unfurling flower, something wondrous that didn't seem possible a moment before. Or, to use another beach simile, like Aphrodite arising from the waves.

Many of these songs don't truly reveal themselves until the final restatement, subverting their deceptively simple origins. This album moves from solid to entrancing at tis own pace, but there's no denying its power by the end. Once locked in, your ears will surrender gleefully.

Jon Worley